Undeath and Taxes Prologue Chapter 1

Someone asked me whether or not he can publish his story on my site. I guess why not?

Author:

Ian McDaniels

Undeath and Taxes

Prologue Chapter 1: Last Days of Mundus

It was 50 years ago to the day that the entity now known and Imperator Morterran appeared on Mundus. Back then, such a day was a time of celebration as the summoning of a new batch of “Heroes” meant great things for the Theocracy and its puppet nations. More slaves to fight in its stead, more powerful and naive pawns to control. Now however the bicentennial summoning was not an act of power and continued dominance, but rather one of utter desperation.

As Supreme Pontiff Antonius, I looked upon the 20 heroes summoned, he thought to himself, “Why did we have to summon HIM of all people? Why did he get so powerful when he should have died? Why did my armies and heroes fail to stop him? What did I do to deserve this? ME of all people? I am the HEAD of the Theocracy! The whole damned world was mine to do with as I saw fit! All I had to do was put on a show and say prayers to the invisible man in the sky and that’s it! Why must I be put under such demands?”

Supreme Pontiff Antonius I began to address the disposable pawns in front of him, trying desperately to look calm and in charge.

“Great and glorious Heroes! I am Supreme Pontiff Antonius I!  Today, you have been chosen to do gods great work, as demonic forces gates at the holy gates of this land!”

Antonius waited for the words to sink in. Every single summoned person came from the same world, at the same age and at the same time-period. To be summoned, you had to have an extreme devotion to whatever Monotheistic God you worshipped. Well, there was one exception to those rules, and he was leading an unstoppable army of the dead and damned straight to his gates…

Antonius continued, “The devil you will face masquerades as God. He is called Imperator Morterran, and he has amassed an army of the dead and damned upon our borders. This holy land is all that is left to stop the Devil Emperor from swallowing this world in an eternal darkness! When you were summoned, God granted you incredible abilities. Some may have Holy powers; others may be able to command beasts and still others may have gained dominion over the elements!”

Antonius was very careful to avoid using the true word that described their gifts. People from that time had an acute hatred of the term “magic” or “sorcery” and especially “witchcraft”. He followed in the footsteps of his predecessors, referring to any enemies as demons and devils as the summoned slaves had an ingrained opposition to those terms.

“Simple fools…” He thought, “Just like 50 years ago, so malleable, so easily controlled. Only that bastard saw through my honeyed words, even though it turned everyone else against him. After all that has happened, I have a hunch that he had some way of hiding his true strength.”

As the ceremony concluded and the pawns were appraised of their abilities, the door to the chamber burst open.

Half expecting the endless tide of the dead, Supreme Pontiff Antonius, for the first time in his life gave a quick and heartfelt prayer to Lugus, the “God” of this world. His prayers seemed to have been answered, as the individuals coming through the gilded doors were only the upper echelons of the Sacred Order of Lugus, the greatest of the orders of knights and the only ones called Paladins.

“Supreme Pontiff! We, your sacred guard have come to escort you to your next appointment!”

Antonius hesitated, “Appointment? After this? All I had planned after this was making the Alter boys “sing” for me and getting piss drunk! So, what could they mean by---“

Antonius didn’t have time to finish his thought as an earth-shaking roar echoed from far away. Antonius had heard that noise before, and knew what it meant. The end had come. The dead had begun their final assault.

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